Tunnel Mountain Village II Campground — Hotel in Alberta

We went during late October when only Village 2 B is open for the winter season. It was a great experience and we'll be going back. In the photos you can see a group of elk walking through the grounds.

Of note: the B sites are all powered with two pug in points, perfect if you want to have an indoor and outdoor hookup or if you have two campers to connect to the grid. Each campsite also has a picnic table but no fire pits (these are located in site A which are closed).

There are dish washing and undercover cooking stations which are amazing in the colder weather.

There are a couple of shower blocks and a number of toilet blocks without showers in. Both types are heated with change rooms. They aren't to big of a walk away from any campsite, though as it can be slippery with the snow and ice I'd recommend grabbing a site close to the shower blocks if you aren't confident walking on slippery surfaces.

The roads are well maintained. In the snow they plough and gravel the paths to make sure it's grippy however you will need winter tires after October 1 (it's mandatory in the surrounding national Park area anyway) but the drive from the city of Banff up to the campground would be tricky/ impossible this time of year without winter tires.

There is a bus that runs from 6:50am to 11:30pm from the campground down to the town centre. You can purchase a ticket for $2 for the ride or $5 for the day on the bus. You can also go into town and buy a 10 pass ($17 +$3 for the card) or monthly pass from the Banff Roam centre. One 10 pass card can be shared between a group so it's good value.

We paid ~$30 per night which was worth it for the views, power and maintenance. The trip was booked a month or so in advance and I'd recommend booking in advance so you can get the same campsite for the duration of the stay. We've also rocked up and just taken what they had left before but be prepared to move around.

Bonus - the Masala Authentic Indian restaurant will deliver food to the campsite you're staying in. Taxi cabs will also pick you up from your campsite if it's too late...

Really close to Banff…that’s it! To be honest, this is a strange setup. You have no space at your site (B6) and you are parked on the side of your site. We have a 25-feet motorhome and we were squeezed between two large trailers with their huge pick ups….maybe some lines or markings would be useful…just saying!

Our site had threes so were lucky but most sites with electricity have nothing and you are in full sun with no shade.

Then you pay 11$/day for right to burn wood and can pick up woods for yourself. Here comes to pros who are chopping wood like they would stay for a few months. This is so annoying in terms of noise. You cannot bring back wood but here are the pros packing their truck.

Washrooms and showers were nice, cleaned every day in mid-afternoon. There we 5 showers (for both men and women) close to our site but you need to get there at the right time, super early in am or after cleaning otherwise there is a line.

Bravo to the roam transit system to get to Banff. Contrary to some reviews, it works well and buses are on schedule. Free to get to Banff and 2$/adult to get back to tunnel village. Buy a day pass if planning to go to different places like hot springs/gondola. Don’t be an idiot who is bringing an RV downtown, not a good idea!

There is a dump station, two lines but be prepared to wait if going at rush hour, ie 8-9am. There is potable water as well.

I am giving 4 stars and not five for the sites. It is not pleasant and understand Parcs Canada want to maximize accessibility but it should be made clear when you reserve that it is a small site way under normal standards.

Will I come back to this campground,...

This is a place you want to come to when you want to spend zero time in your camp site. It’s super crammed in and they don’t really enforce their own rules. The people next to us had two cars and a trailer, which barely left us any room for our own vehicle (not allowed) and about 10 people in their site (max 6). We had to approach them to move their vehicle just so that I could get my trailer on our site. Same neighbours took over one of the community huts for their entire stay. The argument could be made to “say something” - but not everyone wants a confrontation and most just go without, while the entitled just take over everything.

Staff is constantly “patrolling”, but clearly not enforcing. I’m not usually one to complain if people are “breaking the rules” - but when their breaking the rules starts actually impeding on others enjoyment, it’s an issue. I also wish they would somehow enforce the speed limits through the site - trucks are literally ripping around going like 50/60km/h when there’s kids literally all over the place - how a major incident hasn’t already happened here is beyond me.

Like other reviews stated - this place is basically Wal-Mart with power. If your goal is a place to sleep with power so you can enjoy the things around Banff, this place is more than suitable. Don’t be under any illusion that Village II is camping - you may find a better experience in Village 1 or the “Trailer Court” (which doesn’t allow camp fires).

Bathrooms are decent - showers are hot and clean with good water pressure. There’s also a bus that can take you straight into town,...